© UNHCR/Benjamin Mason
By Benjamin Mason and Frederik Bordon
On 28 June 2023, refugees from across Europe will come together on the football pitch to represent their host countries in the Unity Euro Cup tournament in Frankfurt, Germany. Jointly organized by UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the Unity Euro Cup demonstrates how football can bring locals and refugees together and support mental health and physical wellbeing. Ahead of the tournament, UNHCR Brussels sat down with two members of Team Belgium to chat about their hopes for the tournament and beyond.
On the Flanders-Wallonia border just south of Brussels, the Royal Belgian Football Association headquarters is alive with sporting activity under the beating June sun. Shouts of Spanish, French, Arabic and English merge in a chorus of teamwork and camaraderie. With less than a month until kick-off, Team Belgium is preparing for this year’s Unity Euro Cup.
Made up of a mix of refugees and Belgian nationals, the team is rigorously training together week in and week out in the run up to the tournament on 28 June in Frankfurt, where they will compete against teams from 14 other countries.
Forty-two year old Kamal arrived in Belgium from Syria in January 2022, bringing with him a lifelong passion for the beautiful game. “When I was young, I used to play football with my friends at school, around the neighbourhood… We even used to make little teams and organize tournaments with teams from other villages, recalls Kamal.
© UNHCR/Benjamin Mason
Now working as a chef in a Lebanese restaurant in Mons and taking intensive French lessons, Kamal is certainly keeping himself busy. He’ll always make time for football though which, alongside the physical health benefits, has helped him feel at home in Belgium. “Football helps me to get out of the house and meet lots of new people – we play every week. It’s definitely helped me to integrate in society here…during the World Cup, of course I was cheering for the Red Devils!”
For Kamal, football is much more than a pastime. To wear the badge of his adopted country is a matter of pride and hope. “Football always gives me hope. When I say to my friends I’m representing Belgium in a football team of refugees, that makes me happy and proud. It’s really important for me…I hope that in future my kids will continue to learn and enjoy football, and maybe even achieve what I couldn’t in Syria. For me, hope is my children” says Kamal.
« Football always gives me hope. »
Twenty-year old Sophia fled from Venezuela to Belgium in 2019 with her mother and younger sister and, despite being new to the football pitch, is more than up for the challenge of the Unity Euro Cup. Sophia got hooked on football after meeting her boyfriend, and the pair never miss a game when the Belgians or their favorite club play. “I’m a big fan of the Red Devils, and my boyfriend supports Real Madrid, so I say I do too!”, laughs Sophia.
Sophia hopes she can make a difference at the tournament in Frankfurt alongside her family and friends, but she’s keen to enjoy the journey as well as the destination. “For me football is a way to have fun, to meet people. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, as long as you have fun and give it your best shot”
© UNHCR/Benjamin Mason
For Sophia, Team Belgium also represents a chance to socialize with locals and refugees from around the world. It’s been a welcome support in adjusting to a new life far from home: “It’s a very different life to Venezuela – the people, the culture, the food are all different to what I knew. But life is peaceful and calm here, and we’re learning every day.”
Aside from having set her sights on triumph at the Unity Euro Cup, Sophia has also been busy further sharpening her artistic talent and language skills. “In Venezuela, I used to dance a lot. There weren’t many options to dance at school here, so I’m studying art instead. It’s helped me a lot with the language, because we’re in workshops together, talking all the time, we’ve visited a lot of museums. I especially like the Magritte museum.”
Kamal and Sophia may well have different stories and different relationships with the sport, but they share a love of the game and the idea that it’s the taking part that counts. As Sophia, Kamal and the rest of the team show, sport unites us, no matter where we’re from. It has the power to transform the lives of people forced to flee conflict and persecution, creating a sense of belonging in their adopted communities and boosting mental and physical well-being. It can break down cultural barriers and bring individuals and communities together in the spirit of inclusivity and integration.
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of Team Belgium, Kamal and Sophia will take the fight to Frankfurt later this month, and UNHCR Brussels invites you to join us in cheering them on.
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